Anse Kerlan & Petite Anse Kerlan Beach

On the other side of the airport to the town of Grande Anse lies Anse Kerlan, a stretch of coast that runs from the village north of the airport on Praslin all the way around to the Constance Lemuria Resort.

There are large boulders creating a natural border between the village end of Anse Kerlan and the beaches within the Constance Lemuria Resort. Within Lemuria the beach is again divided into two; Grande Anse Kerlan is a wild and beautiful wide crescent of sand with no breakwaters, backed by trees with the resort’s accommodation hidden behind vegetation.

At the opposite end of Anse Kerlan, a small spit of land creates a natural shelter around Petite Anse Kerlan, a charming little cove with gentle waters and a steep enough beach to make swimming enjoyable, as well as some great snorkeling around the rocks. The Lemuria Resort has a bar on the beach and a restaurant built onto the rocks overlooking the bay. It’s one of our favorite beaches on the island, but unless you are staying at the hotel or planning to eat at their restaurant you may have difficulty coming here to sunbathe.

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The beach alongside the village has suffered considerable erosion over recent years, and as a result, a number of breakwaters have been built to reduce the impact of rising sea levels, you can see this at the Castello Beach Hotel. This does make this section of the beach appear more ‘managed’ than the wild, untouched beaches you may imagine when you think of Seychelles, yet the area is very beautiful and almost devoid of tourists.

The water here is deeper than Grande Anse and there isn’t the same problem with weed, but the waves and undertow can be quite rough and at times it can be dangerous to swim.

This whole area of the island is also a popular area for sea turtles to lay their eggs, an incredible experience if you are staying in season.